Sensitise public over food wastage: BJP MP

Govt sensitise every citizen about the importance of food because a large chunk of our population is dying of hunger, he said

Expressing concern over wastage of food, BJP Rajya Sabha Member K C Ramamurthy on Wednesday said the Centre should take steps to sensitise the public about the importance of food.

"As per the Food Waste Index Report, 2021, of United Nations Environment Programme, 930 million tonnes of food or 17% of total food available to people in the world went into waste bins of households, retailers, restaurants and other food services in 2019," he said during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha.

"Six hundred and ninety million people were hungry in 2019 as per UNFAO!. And, if one calculates, per capita global wastage is 121 kgs per year, and 74 kg of this is happening in households. It means the households are major culprits of food waste," he said.

"When it comes to our country, India is wasting 50 kgs per person per year which is equally unacceptable on any parameter. We cannot feel proud that we are the lowest among South Asian countries or G7 or G20. We feel ashamed that our households are wasting tonnes and tonnes of food because every single bit of food can make alive a person for one more day," he said.

The Union Food Minister, state governments and households sensitise every citizen about the importance of food because a large chunk of our population is dying of hunger, he said.

He also suggested the Centre make it mandatory to telecast about the importance of food on every TV channel for, at least 10 minutes in a day of which 5 minutes should be on prime time.

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